If you are dyeing your own fabric, make up a concentrated dye bath of violet and blue in two old cups with hot water and salt, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Dye white or pale cream pure cotton fabric in shades of turquoise and violet. Spots can be added by dripping concentrated dye onto wet fabric. Once complete, wash the cotton to remove the excess, then dry and press.

Download the templates. Cut two dragon bodies from the dyed fabric, reversing one, two wings from pale turquoise fabric and the two belly sections from orange fabric. Cut out two contrasting pieces of blue felt for the spines and four felt trims for the legs. Snip circles of felt in varying sizes for the spots in two shades.

Press in a 5mm seam allowance along the top of the two tummy pieces. Pin together and stitch leaving a gap where indicated on the pattern. Reinforce each side of the gap. Pin the belly section to a 34cm x 38cm piece of wadding. To create a quilted effect, sew rows of stitching using red thread. Trim the wadding to fit, then trim around the gap.

Pin a 17cm x 26cm piece of wadding to one of the wings, and stitch as close to the edge of the fabric as possible. Lay the wing wadding side down, then stitch an 18cm x 27cm piece of pale turquoise fabric to this sandwich, just inside the original stitch line and leave a gap where indicated. Trim the wadding and turquoise fabric and turn out. Topstitch and press, then repeat for the second wing.

Machine stitch purple spots to each side of the dragon body using contrasting thread. Layer with a smaller aqua spot and secure with turquoise wool. Pin one of the felt spines to the right side of the dragon. Position along the back facing down and machine stitch close to the edge. Pin and stitch the other felt spine staggering in between the first set. Stitch the felt leg trim to each leg, again facing inwards.

Pin the bodies right sides together and mark out the position of the wings. Use sharp scissors to cut through the back and front pieces together. Insert each wing and machine sew in place using small stitches. Attach eyes using the same method, layering with a small circle of aqua felt.

Gently fold up each wing and secure it to the body of the dragon with masking tape. Pin the tummy section to the body starting with the legs and machine sew with small stitches, then sew all around the body. Gently turn out. Remove the masking tape from the wings and press. Stuff with toy filling through the gap in the belly and hand sew closed with orange thread using tiny stitches. If desired, add a few stitches to secure the wings to the side of the body.